12 Russian Intel Officials Indicted in 2016 Election Hack

The officials are accused of hacking into top Democratic organizations, including the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign, ahead of the 2016 election.

(Published Friday, July 13, 2018)

The indictments against 12 Russian operatives allegedly involved in hacking the Democratic National Committee has put a spotlight on a massive Russian intelligence agency that has long lived in the shadow of the KGB, NBC News reported.

The Main Intelligence Directorate, better known by the acronym GRU from its Russian name, is the Kremlin's military intelligence arm. Founded not long after the Bolshevik revolution, it plays a much larger role than its rough U.S. equivalent, the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The indictment stands as special counsel Robert Mueller's first allegation implicating the Russian government directly in criminal behavior meant to sway the presidential election, the Associated Press reported.